The first vernacular Qur’an translation appeared in 1647.

Evidence

The first vernacular translation of the Qur’an was that of André du Ryer, in France, published in 1647; it must be classed as popular rather than academic, and was seen in a polemic aspect. The English version of Alexander Ross appeared in London two years later. This was the year of the king’s execution, and the religious settlement of the country was more in doubt than ever. Ross thought it prudent to append a ‘needfull Caveat or Admonition for them who desire to know what use may be made of, or if there be danger in reading the Alcoran’. — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 1581

Categorization

Category: Factual Claims

• XREF: Connects to the broader theme of how religious texts are framed by translation and political context — echoes the reader’s work on the history of information and its shaping by institutional and polemical interests.

Related

• The first English Qur’an translation carried an anti-Islamic caveat (similarity 0.93)
• Early English translators framed the Qur’an as dangerous imposture. (similarity 0.84)
• The Qur’an’s first European vernacular translation prioritized literary polish over fidelity (similarity 0.83)
• Early European translations of Islamic texts ignored most major source works besides the Quran (similarity 0.82)
• The Qur’an was first rendered into Latin in 1143 by an Englishman (similarity 0.82)
• Early Qur’an translators claimed missionary aims to dodge church censorship (similarity 0.81)